Beneath the flickering spotlights, the play of light and shadow combine to suggest something awful, something seething with malign fury - Something between a lion's burbling snarl and a bear's hoarse roar ringing out in the body-warm air between you.

Auguste's rapier is in your hand, and it lances against the dark. The uncertain light strobes, warping the thing's dimensions - A body straining with too much mass, too much malevolence, for any single frame to contain. A hot, wet mist of stinking tumour-breath boils forth as it thrashes, flailing in a last, shuddering spasm; That great maw champing, fangs as long as your hand chewing the air-

And then it speaks.

Such a voice - Raw, awful with portent, a grinding gurgle alive with a kind of sick amusement, as you sweep the sword across your chest - down and to the side, in the fencer's salute.

"Fool," the guardian burbles, the rictus of death pulling the lips back in a snarl. "Slay me and be damned."

When it sways and falls, the crash shakes the speakers, a deep tremor that you can feel through the soles of your boots. The proper rapier's grip is slick in your hand; the spotlight fading out, plunging the stage into that eerie crimson half-light - once again. The harsh radiance from above twists away from you, settling instead on the looming shape before you, harsh and leaden as the weight of destiny...

A black geometric shape. Dead, but alive. Dormant, but filled with the slumbering power of a million stars.

You pace forward. Auguste's footfalls are the only sound in the universe; A hush descending, the Eye of Night glittering on its chain. There is the weight of ritual to this, made more so by the way the light blots out everything beyond the terminus of the stage - Even though you know, intellectually, that Shogo's being helped off-stage so he can get out of the bulky costume, that Mio and Kazuya and Yui are waiting in the wings for the endgame.

There is a raised plinth before you - Plastic sprayed-painted green, to give the impression of a polish tooth of dark green mineral wound with carved spirals. The monolith catches the light the way Auguste's form never did; The fractured gem in his hand - in your hand - glittering with a hard-edged violent gleam.

There is music in the background. A piano, striking minor chords - alternating now with other diminished notes that seem full of suffering and hollow all at once, turning the soundtrack into a march, into a call to nothing good.

[ ] "-Then let me be damned, and content in my damnation."[ ] "And with this, I claim the Ship as my own." [ ] "For Etoile, there is nothing I will not do."[ ] "How passing strange: Once, I think, I may have dreamt this."[ ] Remain silent.[ ] Free.

You hesitate. Your shadow wavers, with formless anxiety - Disquiet coloring your words, as if giving vent to a secret you can never take back. Only the gem in your hand continues to glitter, swaying on the silver chain.

> [X] "How passing strange: Once, I think, I may have dreamt this."

Like a die, the Eye of Night rattles. Like a die, it awaits an outcome. An outcome unknowable in the open space above, a realization it can only find in the moment of decision. Heavy with impending doom.

The moment of introspection, of hesitation, passes.

> "I am damned every moment I am away from Etoile. My love made true is salvation."> [X] "For Etoile, there is nothing I will not do."

Thin, reedy gasps rise from the seats - A silent mouthing of "No!" and "Don't do it!"...

-As your hand comes down. The spotlights flare, blindingly - And settle into deeper hues of eerie crimson, lending everything a ghoulish, bloody cast; The Witch's laughter comes from all around, monotone, without humor - Made worse by the static-laden revebration to it, a sound that echoes with a biting edge of mockery.

"Dear Auguste...Truly, you are a wonder!"

You turn - Your rapier gleams in your hand, as a solitary shaft of violet light illuminates Yui's form. She draws close from across the stage, her long skirts making each step a glide - As if she's walking on air, her face set in the cast of victory.

You try-

You can't move. The illumination captures the taut lines of your form, locked in place - The tremor that courses through you, the wordless hiss of effort.

"For an idea to take root in fertile soil - For the time of harvest to come at last...Ah, this must be the truest joy!"

...Yui, you're supposed to be smiling when you say that.

"For now the Ark is mine, as you are mine, and all is within my grasp."

Your eyes follow her, agonized, moving in frozen sockets.

"How you have suffered to come this far, sweet Auguste - But dear, foolish Auguste, one final truth awaits." Her hand comes up, to caress your face; Coming just short of touching, her lips downturned in spite - Her questing touch coming just short of contact.

"Whether in this world or the next-"

"In the fields of the Real, or the oceans of the Red-"

"Auguste - You will *always* be a slave."

And then the laughter begins again, the mocking laughter at the end of the worlds - The laughter that cuts like a knife. The fanged emblem smolders redly in the surreal light, as if awakened at last; Even as the Witch turns away, her expression triumphant.

Your eyes narrow.

The fang of steel pierces the air, the glittering line piercing her wavering silhouette - Impaled, she spasms, the sharp gasp hanging in the air; Frozen as you once were, locked forever in the act of turning - The expression on her face is utter surprise, blank and painful.

And she says:

"H-how...?"

[ ] "Fool. I *am* an idea." [ ] "All is as I have dreamt. For you, I fear, it is only nightmare."[ ] "And thus it ends."[ ] "-I have power over you, where once you had power over me. Die unknowing, witch."[ ] "The Ship is *mine*."[ ] Free

>>37039177Is this the part where Auguste stops caring about Etoile and becomes obsessed with the ship? It'll change how I answer and I forget how much of the early "drafts" made it to the finished product.

>>37039177"You give me an eye to see and ask how I break free? The night holds many secrets, your essence least among them. A fine gift, unknowingly given. Begone, that I may take what is rightfully mine."

> "You give me an eye to see and ask how I break free? The night holds many secrets, your essence least among them. A fine gift, unknowingly given. Begone, that I may take what is rightfully mine."

Her eyes widen, in pained realization - Her hands clutching at you, beseechingly, as you twist the blade. Her shuddering gasp hangs in the air, as you stand, unmoved; As solid and unyielding as a carved onyx statue.

> [X] "-I have power over you, where once you had power over me. Die unknowing, witch."

You come *this close* - this close - to flubbing the line. It's a narrow thing, but your memory of the script wins out.

> [X] "All is as I have dreamt. For you, I fear, it is only nightmare."

As your blade pulls free, she sinks to her knees. Her lips move, wordlessly, as she stares up at you; Her expression halfway between disbelief and a kind of desperate hope.

"Then - *Is* this a dream, Auguste?" the Witch murmurs. Your stark shadow falls across her, sword in one hand - The Eye of Night casting a pitiless glitter in the other.

Perhaps you'll know if you ever wake up.

> [X] "And thus it ends."

Then she falls forward, and her silhouette merges seamlessly with the backdrop - And in the distant, there is the rush of wings and the harsh cry of birds.

> [X] "The Ship is *mine*."

In the moments between the coup-de-grace and the next, where all attention was focused on the tableau, the stagehands have hurried out to draw the drapes back from the raised plinth; Abstract twists of wood and metal framing it on either side, all arching lines and intricately-carved knotwork, to form...

-A throne.

You ascend. Your blade lies across your lap, as you take your place; All lonesome, otherwordly hauteur, features cast into shadow. The light, streaming down from above, turns the color of old blood.

Then the stage is painted with scarlet light, with the color of stars seen through the smoke of burning worlds.

Your hand comes up to your face. The spotlight narrows, as your fingers curl into a claw; And then your hand *moves*, with the ferocity of irrevocable decision, as a piercing liquid screech fills the air.

The curtain falls.

-----------------------------

"Five minutes, people!" Yui picks herself up, her voice brisk as she dusts herself off; She gives you a quick look, a nod of affirmation...Before, all business again, she bustles off.

"Anon-kun, that was amazing~!" Mio's dress flutters around her - She nearly stumbles, as she hurries to your side; For a moment, you think she's about to hug you...But that would mean messing up her costume, and she catches herself at the last moment. "Ah...Kazuya-kun was great too," she adds, a trifle belatedly...Even as Kazuya sighs, his arms folded across his chest.

"-Somehow...You're making me feel kind of lonely," he sighs, scratching at his cheek. "Well, whatever." His familiar grin returns as he claps you on the shoulder, the effect of his gilded coat rather less impressive this close-up. "Great job so far, Anon." A pause; "Well, Kouichi has the whole 'heroic' thing down, but...Y'know, I think they're buying it!"

"Here." Half your vision vanishes, as Natsumi slips the mask - Cut cleanly down the middle, like the Phantom of the Opera's - onto your head; She's out of costume, now, her eyes still red...But she's moving with the same brisk efficiency as the others, focusing solely on the job at hand. You can see through the weird violet filter, but...The effect is admittedly rather distracting.

"...How is it?" she says - "Anon-kun, can you see right?"

[ ] "You're doing great too, Mio."[ ] "-Hey, your scenes are coming up, Kazuya. You get all the good lines, remember?"[ ] "It's fine."[ ] "It's going to take some getting used to."[ ] "-No, I can't see anything. Can we use the eyepatch instead?"[ ] "How are you holding up, Natsumi?"[ ] "Has *anyone* found Kouichi yet?"[ ] Free

>>37039478[X] "You're doing great too, Mio.""Where did you learn to sing like that? It was gorgeous."[X] "-Hey, your scenes are coming up, Kazuya. You get all the good lines, remember?"> Remember the man you were - The man you *should have been*!"

"I can see but the purple is going to give me a headache. Can we use the eyepatch instead?""I'm surprised you're still here. I thought you would leave for sure."

>>37039590Kraken. He's never managed to live up to the hype OP tried to build up around him and survived two fights by ass pulls. He either jobbed hard or Worf'd, and more people know wrestling than TNG here.

"Mmmn!" Her face is glowing with happiness - Her smile earnest, a little giggle teased from her lips. She seems to have forgotten her stage-fright entirely, now; In that place where she's actually enjoying the play and her role in it.

"Oh-" Mio's gaze darts down, to the side. Then; "...My mother. She - used to sing that lullaby..."

A quick glance over your shoulder - You can't help but wince, as the straps of the mask tighten, slightly.

> [X] "How are you holding up, Natsumi?"

In your peripheral vision, Natsumi's expression is troubled - She blinks, and the moment passes. "I'm fine," she says - The sound almost a whisper, managing a wan smile. But she avoids your gaze, all the same; There's hidden depths to her, something that isn't immediately apparent-

Kazuya notices this, too. He frowns - Just for a moment - but then he looks away.

"Ah-" Mio nods, biting her lip - She bustles away, with almost indelicate haste, with a last smile at you.

> [X] "I'm surprised you're still here. I thought you would leave for sure."

"It's too late for that, isn't it?" Natsumi says - Her gaze meeting yours, for a moment, the softness to her eyes at odds with her efficient motions. She leaves the straps some play, to make the half-mask as comfortable as possible - Drawing back, to examine the effect.

"-It looks like I'll be here all the way, then," she murmurs, almost to herself - With a quick smile that never quite touches her eyes.

>>37039686There's all sorts of reasons, real, imagined and exaggerated then mistaken for truth, but it comes down to three things: It got popular, a few years back they purged adult content because Google pulled ads, and not much later they started purging anime and related content because the founder hates it. Then there's some fucking stupid articles, but what else is new on the internet. Still an okay resource, just a less wild and interesting one.

>>37039714>Kazuya notices this, too. He frowns - Just for a moment - but then he looks away.Can't we just get Natsumi to confide into Kazuya?He deserves to know and would give her some much needed support.

> [X] "-Hey, your scenes are coming up, Kazuya. You get all the good lines, remember?"> [X] "Remember the man you were - The man you *should have been*!"

"Because that's such fine dramatic territory," Kazuya says, loftily. "Well, whatever-" he smooths down the lapels of his glittering coat; "-I'll make it look good. I make *anything* look good-"

...Getting ahead of yourself there, Kazuya.

> "It's going to take some getting used to."> "I can see but the purple is going to give me a headache. Can we use the eyepatch instead?"

Natsumi mulls over this, biting her lip. Then - "...You're right," she says, decisively, unlacing the mask, setting it aside. The eyepatch is...Well, it's hardly a simple strip of fabric. It's fair-size, enough to cover almost half your face - With a glittering gem sewn into the lining, in mimicry of the Eye of Night. The Eye's supposed to be a very large stone, but...You're hoping the audience will ignore that.

"Better?" Natsumi asks - And it *is* better. You're still seeing the world through a violet filter, but it could be worse; the mask felt like an accident waiting to happen, come to think about it.

>>37039758Part of that is because Anon knows her secret identity, but Kazuya doesn't. It inevitably creates a divide.Taking that boundary down is generally helpful to make for a better relationship.

Obviously, Natsumi has her marty complex that would prevent her from telling Kazuya. That's the issue here.Remember when she thought that we weren't a player and that she was the only fighting member of our group?

>>37039744There's more than that here. She's never loved Kazuya the way he loves her, and since she's upset about Argent she's not as able to hide that, much less her affection for Anon. Capping all that she's seeing that Anon might have moved on from Hecate and picked Mio instead of her, which is a lance to her waiting heart.

And Kazuya has never been as dense as he seemed. The trio's story could end up going Greek.

>>37039794Even before Anon and Natsumi shared secrets she felt differently for the boys. There is not going to be a happy ending between Kazuya and Natsumi, and there might never have been one possible.

>>37039748There aren't any. 4chan barely scrapes by and TvTropes has even larger server requirements since its pages are static. Google can single-handedly prevent the need for further, potentially intrusive, advertising, and even that only covers upkeep. It's shit, but that at least I don't blame them for.

>>37039833To be fair, Natsumi herself was terrified of knowing that Anon is the Red Joker and made it clear that she'd rather have never known (though she got used to the fact after a while).Also, you could apply the same truth towards Mio and Joker's relationship.

You rise, from the throne. The icon on your duster glows ember-red, shaded the same hue as the tormented horizon; An unsubtle manifestation of inner conflict. The violet gleam of your false eye is the only respite from the magma-glow - Your hollow, deliberate footfalls filling the empty silence.

They fear you. That much is clear - The air humming, resonating, with the lap of acid waves against a beach of black sand, the crackle of distant flames.

[ ] "All is as I have desired. To think that I once feared this."[ ] "And now they know me."[ ] "Power. Such power. True power, not by birth or by station - But the power to lay waste.[ ] "At last, the mighty have been brought low, and I have been exalted above all."[ ] Free

>>37039869>They fear you. That much is clear - The air humming, resonating, with the lap of acid waves against a beach of black sand, the crackle of distant flames.You know, the play is basically an elaborate PTSD remix for Joker.

>>37039833Get the idea that people are made for each other out of your head. Do you know what the single largest determinant of a couple's ability to stay together is? Their willingness to work at the relationship. It doesn't matter how many things you have in common, if you can't deal with how your partner is different from you you're finished. That's why Megumi and Naoya broke up here, even if Naoya made it an issue because his feelings started to change.

>>37039846Because it's going to change their relationships with each other. That's what all three are trying to avoid the most.

"I once dreamed a red dream, that all were made equal by light from heaven, that men would stand as tall as the tallest towers, without regard to the differences of life. I dream no longer.">[X] "And now they know me."

>>37039947>Their willingness to work at the relationship.That's what I'm referring to.They will never see on eye-level. There will always be a source of stress that Kazuya cannot understand.It's like Natsumi is a special ops operative, except she isn't even allowed to tell that she is one.

>>37039922Don't see why he would. There's nothing really traumatic about his role in the play.>>37039944Mio was modified to be the perfected Chalice Queen, but her mental state is rather incompatible with Joker's overall.

>>37039957Kazuya is willing to accept that Natsumi won't talk about her problems and is keeping secrets. That's the gist of every conversation he's had with Anon. You can replace just about every ellipses in his sentences about his problems with her with "But I love her" without changing the tone. The tension is on Natsumi's side. She's the one unwilling to meet him halfway, and unless something really dramatic happens to Kazuya, she'll be the one to end the relationship.

>>37039973>Mio was modified to be the perfected Chalice Queen, but her mental state is rather incompatible with Joker's overall.Even after the big reveal, she still absolutely radiates joy just being near him. The drama bomb is going to cause drama, but so long as that's the case the relationship going forward is up to Anon.

>>37039983Anything we say will only accelerate the end of Natsumi and Kazuya's relationship.

>>37039983>Maybe we can tell Natsumi that the Red World luck we have may be influencing her a bit.Remember how Bishamon reacted to telling him about the brainwashing? And us finding out that he actually loved her even outside the brainwashing?

It's a bad idea to call someone's feelings into question.

>>37039973>Don't see why he would. There's nothing really traumatic about his role in the play.The parallels to his own story, as well as some of the symbolism like the black sea and the fact that he murders the girl that gives him the Nihl.It's like he's experiencing the murder of Cybele, combined with Hecate's death, but from the perspective of someone who really doesn't care about the two. He likely feels like even more of an asshole now.

Have you said the words before? With such satisfaction? Perhaps you dreamt it, in another life.

Killing changes a person - Cain carrying Abel across endless fields of salt. But what you waited for, what you had hoped for, would not come; you waited for understanding. You were exactly the same before as you were after.

It took you the longest time to understand that everything *had* changed, that the thing was growing inside you, and that it was the key to yourself that would never go away.

> [X] "A sky, once blue now awash in crimson and obsidian...And now there is only silence."

Only silence, at the end of the world; The end of all things.

> [X] "At last, the mighty have been brought low, and I have been exalted above all."> [X] "I once dreamed a red dream, that all were made equal by light from heaven, that men would stand as tall as the tallest towers, without regard to the differences of life. I dream no longer."

That may not be the truth, but it is *a* truth - A truth you have glimpsed, a truth that you can only dimly intuit.

The shadows flicker, parted by the spotlight. The golden illumination is dimmer, now, barely enough to illuminate Etoile; But your gaze, transfixed by the tableau of destruction, cannot see her. Her lips move, soundlessly, as you turn - Unseeing, always on your blind side, some trick of the light keeping her forever from your view.

At last - At long last, speaking but never heard, Mio reaches out for you; There is an echo of the Witch's gesture in her graceful motion, something filled with unbearable longing...But then she draws back, her arms folding against herself. With one last, sorrowful look, she steps back into the shadows-

The light winks out.

It returns, the span of a breath later; But to illuminate a different figure entirely.

"Auguste!" Montaigne's voice is harsh, raw - A plea for understanding, perhaps. The audience gasps at the sight of him; His gilded coat looks singed, now, blackened by soot. His sword is in one hand, a twisting streamer of crimson fabric winding around the blade-

"Auguste - What have you done? What is this that you do?"

He takes a single step forward, the light following him - Slanting down, like an accusing finger. It clashes with the bleak lines of the Ship.

"What madness has seized you, Auguste? What fever of the mind?"

Another step. "Why do you not speak, Auguste? Look at me, and answer me true!"

[ ] "I have been waiting for you, old 'friend'." [ ] "I have become who I was meant to be." [ ] "It is fitting, is it not? Once you had all, and now you have nothing. And now...Everything I want is within my grasp."[ ] "Even now, you continue to vex me. Envy ill-becomes you, Montaigne."[ ] "If only you knew, Montaigne. If only you knew."[ ] "-Montaigne. Only you would come this far for spite's sake."[ ] Free

>>37040011>Even after the big reveal, she still absolutely radiates joy just being near him. The drama bomb is going to cause drama, but so long as that's the case the relationship going forward is up to Anon.The reason she's happy around him is because she's purposefully ignoring everything he told her earlier. She's refusing to either accept him or reject him and is just trying to maintain the status cuo by acting like nothing happened.It's an entirely one-sided relationship where everything relies on RJ's willingness to keep lying and acting like there's nothing wrong with him. Frankly, it's pathetic.

>>37040051>[ ] "I have been waiting for you, old 'friend'." >[ ] "I have become who I was meant to be." >[ ] "It is fitting, is it not? Once you had all, and now you have nothing. And now...Everything I want is within my grasp."these kinda fit together.

>>37040051>[X] "If only you knew, Montaigne. If only you knew.""The fever is broken, my madness passed. At last I see the world as it truly is, and with pleasure do I share it with you.""Thank you, old friend. Without your urging I might never have come so far."

>>37040070Mythologic backstory for how the Red World became the way it is. Lots of recurring patterns to the present and ten years ago. Frankly we're throwing cool lines at the wall to see what comes back to us.

>>37040121>Either way, the Chalice Queen armor will force her to face that reality.She doesn't have the mental strength for that. The Chalice Queen armor won't just magically solve her mental issues. She'll be useless as a Player for a while.

>>37040183>That's what Hellebore's shade is for, I'm fairly certain. I really don't think it's going to be as bad as you fear.Hellebore becomes an Obi Wan and fucks around to make Mio and Anon embarrassed because they are so cute?

Like, that's a professional sound stage they got in there - its just grunged up to look super shitty, the manager is a sketchy-ass-mofo, etc. I keep expecting them to pull some MORTAL KOMBAT bullshit with all the references to the aztec temples.

> [X] "I have been waiting for you, old 'friend'." > [X] "I have become who I was meant to be."

In the half-light, folds of darkness - which you seem to wear, which pull around you like a great cloak - ebb through the air as they move with you.

"You-"

His breath catches, when he glimpses that terrible violet eye - An eye that sees with blind vision, pitiless and unblinking.

"...*This* is what you were meant to be? This is what you wished for?"

> [X] "It is fitting, is it not? Once you had all, and now you have nothing. And now...Everything I want is within my grasp."

Montaigne stares, open-mouthed.

"This is not-" he says, slowly, shaking his head. "I would never have..."

> "The fever is broken, my madness passed. At last I see the world as it truly is, and with pleasure do I share it with you."> "Thank you, old friend. Without your urging I might never have come so far."

"I never wanted this for you! Never, Auguste - My..." he falters. "-My words were poorly-chosen, and ill-meant. Yet to think...To think they have made you - That you have made yourself..."

He looks up.

"-Into *this*."

> [X] "If only you knew, Montaigne. If only you knew."

"Auguste - Auguste, my friend. Listen. You're dooming yourself. What..." Kazuya's voice catches, a gesture taking in the sweeping scope of destruction. "-What happens when you run out of things to destroy?"

"It is mere emptiness for you, Auguste. Empty cruelty. Empty life. Look what you've done to yourself - To everything around you."

He shakes his head, low.

"You have taken all this was right - All that good - about yourself...And turned it into sewage. God forgive you, Auguste."

>>37040200That would be adorable, but Hellebore's from the serious side of the quest. She's going to give Mio one last talk with her mother, and then release her Essence into Mio. Remember how Anon sometimes gets sense images from Essence? That, but hopefully less invasive.

I was figuring we might actually glean a level-up from that. Or two. Or several. There's gonna be a LOT of essence whirling about that maelstrom and its doubtfull 100% of it will be captured.What that means is: Open up the leech module, soak in the ambient sunlight and maybe we'll come out the other side a little more golden.

"Do you - Do you remember anything else?" Montaigne says, with desperate, rising urgency. "-From whence did this bitterness, this...This all-consuming hatred come?" The dread flickers in his eyes, his face working with emotion as - Too late, too late - he realizes...

Perhaps he never knew his friend at all. Not truly.

"Come to your senses, Auguste - Before you are lost. This is not who you are; Not who you *should* be. Remember when you spoke of your love, Etoile-"

You turn. Gasps rise from the audience, as he takes an involuntary step back.

[ ] "-Never speak that name again."[ ] "I remember nothing."[ ] "Enough."[ ] "And even now, you seek to enslave me once more."[ ] "But this is who I *want* to be. In my heart of hearts, in my most secret dreams - I have longed for this."[ ] Free

>>37040257>[ ] "But this is who I *want* to be. In my heart of hearts, in my most secret dreams - I have longed for this.">[ ] Free

I want to see a twist on this.Something like....'but this is who I feel I was *meant* to be, I *could* be. In my most secret dreams, I have wished to be *complete*. Who i was meant to be, realized. But.. is it not too late?

Finish with a question? "What else - Who else would you have me be?"

I think this is my favorite hellion picture all around though. Tech-angels are pretty

>>37040274>etoile is... mio?Originally Natsumi. She's a bit upset since she found out Argent died so we suggested Mio assume the role. It's worked out surprisingly.

It's "play evil" more than anything. The premise is that Auguste starts out looking for a way to make his lover real. He finds the power to do it, but becomes so taken by the power that he decides to blow up the world instead of saving her. She appears in front of him but he can't see her. The goodness that drew her to him is gone, why not her memory as well?

I mean, we're going there in the red culmination of this tragic love story, aren't we? Might as well either stick to the plot, or intentionally try to steer it towards great ending now that we're driving asuna's prophecy-bus.

We're the destroyer, after all. What this really is doing is just taking the train off the rails, i think.

>>37040333Anon, we're not actually doing improv. We're deciding the form Asuna's script took when she wrote the final draft, in the moment. It's a living flashback, all answers that are accepted are "correct".

No matter how symbolic, we're still actors in the play. No one is literally Etoile, Auguste or Montaigne.

-He moves. His blade flickers, like a flash of silver flame. A chiming ring peals forth, at the brittle clash of sword-on-sword; Sparks fly, which isn't necessary but is definently dramatic, your swords locking in place in a flaring cross-

"Remember-" Kazuya hisses - "Remember the man you *were*-!"

...And there it is.

Your feet dig in, and you drive at him. The force takes him by (feigned) surprise - He staggers back, making it look good; An audible gasp rises from the seats, and you hear - Of all things - Shino's voice.

"Kazuya-kun-!" Amane's on her feet, too, her hands to her mouth; There are cheers, as Kazuya scrambles to his feet, his blade describing a shimmering circle, his rapier bright in his hand as he backs away...As you advance, with grim inevitably, your own sword in your hand-

...You're never getting that axe, are you?

"Auguste-" He's on the back foot, bracing himself for the onslaught to come; Your sword describes a lightning-quick arc, a bisecting slash that connects with the rail of the ship - Tiny sparks go off, and a segment topples down with a ceremonious crash.

"...Is there *anything* of you left, within?"

The tension hangs thick in the air - The audience goes silent, with bated breath. They've been waiting for this, with the kind of silent, looming anticipation you've sensed before, seen before...Even though it's just a play, the intensity is real.

[ ] Move the fight along as best you can, and focus on the dialogue. [ ] The crowd's expecting action. Try to strike a balance. [ ] Go the whole nine yards, and hope that Kazuya can follow up on your improvisation.[ ] Free

Drive. The new kamen rider is..... Its so nuts(in a cop noir way, also with Actually Useful Female Co-lead) that my one friend who's into this kind of stuff actually sat down and was like 'dude. You NEED to check this out. I know you're not into JAPAN stuff but just give it a few episodes'.

And then there was pinball-style flying kicks, wall-hacking cab cars, and japanese knight rider oh lordy its like the writers are being as Player Charaters as possible when it comes to the show.

And surprisingly, things aren't always as simple: its a detective themed show, so there's actually some depth to the plot.

Since then, i've actually been pleasantly surprised by the kinds of ideas and originality they incorporate. I'd definitely recommend checking it out. Over-time is doing the subs currently, so if you can spare an hour, grab the first four.

>>37040534Well, he basically said the same thing as Auguste here.>Remember the reason why you became a Makai Knight!>I've forgotten.And after that, he kills an image of his mother, to extinguish all light in himself.

>>37040592Hm. I've just finished the Garo franchise as it is now, actually, so there's this hole in my life, y'know?Sounds pretty cool, but I've tried Kamen Rider Gaim before, and that wasn't really my thing. I stopped just before episode 15 or 16, I think.

And Garo is tokusatsu, but with more of a horror bent, I guess, in that there are people getting eaten or murdered and they show titties sometimes. The plot revolves around a Makai Knight, called Garo or the Golden Knight, who kills monsters that take the form of people, called Horrors.I reccomend starting with the anime, honestly. It's called Honoo no Kokouin, you can find it on nyaa or on HorribleSubs or whatever.

>>37040592I know all about Drive. Same person who tried to get me in through OOO's loves it. I could probably name the tiny cars in order of introduction with both their actual name and their fan nickname.

Honestly I'm worried that I've become one of those le ironique asshats. I know a lot of trivia and lore since one of my best friends is into toku in a big way he practices doing every henshin starting from Hongo. In order.. I love seeing toku references elsewhere, and Wonderful 101 was probably my favorite game last year. Just, watching tokusatsu itself doesn't do anything for me.

Action it is. Kazuya gives you a quick, 'Are you sure you're up for this' look-

...And then he winks.

You can't claim to be an amazing swordsman. You don't have Kouichi's practised ease, or Kazuya's flourish - Just the instinct to avoid the sharp end of things, and to bring your own blade to bear. That serves you well in the first few seconds, as Kazuya comes at you; He ploughs forward with a three-form attack, a crosswise strike, a stab, then a blow-and-parry - A hasty rattle of parries echoing in the brittle space, as you fend him off.

The sharp clash of blade-on-blade draw flint-spark flashes from your prop sword, as Kazuya switches hands - Definently showing off, now - and rains blows down at you. You block, with turns of your wrist - Outstepping the third, as you begin to circle; Stepping forward, parting his defense, your rapier flashing like a serpent's tongue - Neck, heart, belly...

Kazuya blocks the first, dodges the second, then lurches back inelegantly to avoid the third - Gasps of genuine alarm rise from the crowd, and a scattered round of applause...

He's right. He *is* making you look good.

You fight. Back and forth. Up and down the narrow stage. You abandon the lethal thrusts and running fleches for telegraphed swings and grand slashes; You force Kazuya back up the steps, and he barely gets his feet on the plinth before you pounce on him, and you stand almost toe-to-toe, blades whirling and crashing on all sides in windmill vanes...

>>37040698I haven't actually seen Wizard. From all the shows i've been cajoled into experiencing, drive seems like the best put-together one of them all.

Its like they've learned their lesson about SILLY and just... replaced it with character development and camaraderie, where the nuts things are saved for fights and places where it doesn't clash and actually matters. I mean, sure, there's a few moments (office-humor type stuff) where it leaks through but its short / not a show stealer.

The one thing I do enjoy tho is the length. 20 minute episodes are hardly a committment especially if you skip intros and outros.

I've often wished to see what that studio could do with their ideas in an american-tv show format. Say Arrow-style: 40 minutes, serious budget, more time to lay things out, emphasis on things that happen, less on toy-selling.Shame it'll never happen though.

> If you're not insult swordfighting, its not done right!> You fight like a dairy farmer!

"Dude, come *on*-" It's an urgent hiss, but the hissing speed of the duel leaves no room for words; It's a matter of concentration, the impressive conviction of your attacks - As Kazuya gives ground, steadily, leading with his body - making for a spectacular sight. It forms a rhythm; He dips back out of reach as you press it, your blade skimming his left arm - He throws it out, seemingly stricken, dramatically off-balance...Obliged to step outside the clean slash you make, forced (apparently) onto the back foot...

And back-and-forth it goes, the lethal game - He's trying *very* hard not to grin, but it's a close thing; Fending off your attacks, stumbling back as if overwhelmed...

Your sword sweeps back -

He hurls himself forward, the final effort of a desperate man, and you lock again, straining almost chest-to-chest, the scrape-hiss of your blades (They're going to be worn down to nothing after this) a lethal rasp that carries through the stage. There are people on their feet, now; Cameras flash, in places, their bright blooms of illumination distracting, disorientating.

Kazuya's eyes dart to the side, his head nodding significantly - It's time to wrap this up.

"Make this look *good*," he's saying, wordlessly - Resisting the urge to look behind him, the circuit of the stage complete. You've hewed mightily through everything in the way, ripping apart paper screens, bounding up the platforms to trade adder-quick blows; Boiling clouds of dried-ice smoke simulating the vertical sheet of fire above, as if you duel at the end of the world.

Let his next swing go behind Anon's head, so the audience can't see it. Pull off the eyepatch, drop it next to him.

Stumble back, get some distance. Look at the stage, wildly, waking up from a nightmare. Charge forward, and throw your sword over his head. Catch his last thrust under the armpit. Call "Etoile!" And fall backstage.

In the moment his guard slackens - Across the cross of blades - your head slams into his, with a sickening *thud* of impact. Kazuya sells it well; He stumbles back, off-balance, and topples decorously to the ground - Sprawled on his side, a pained gasp forced from his lungs. A deep groan of sympathy rises from the audience, a few winces, yelps of absolute surprise.

You stand over him, tall, dark and terrible.

> "You alone can fulfill your wish, for I will not stop."

"Nnnn-" The sword clatters from Montaigne's hand, as he clutches at his face. He gropes for it, or for succor, his fingers straining, reaching, as your sword draws back for the death blow...

And then, in the moment of extremity, he strikes.

The blow is wild, unfocused. It catches Auguste utterly off-guard, the blade whistling in a brilliant arc; Then it is your turn to stagger back, as the eyepatch falls from your face - Your hand artfully interposed, to hide that your eye is actually still there-

It falls to the floor at Montaigne's feet, as he looks up - Even as a deep groan issues forth, the lights of the stage darkening, as a roar builds from deep within; A bass rumble making the stage tremble, with a shriek like the damned in a burning hell-

> Call "Etoile!" And fall backstage.

Your stumble takes you to the wings - That last, despairing cry echoing in the air, as you fall back onto the landing pad carefully concealed from direct vision. Montiagne reaches out; A final gesture, across the widening gulf...

Fade to black.

------------------------

The light returns, one final time, the sound and fury replaced by the low lapping of waves against the surf. Ocean-toned colors flicker overhead, lending a moving edge to things; Montaigne sprawled on the ground, lying where he has fallen, carried by the ebb and flow of the waters. His sword is gone - The scales of his gilded coat entirely stripped off, dyed crimson by the spreading stain of his own blood.

In one hand, he holds the fractured stone. His fingers curl around the Eye of Night, the way a drowning man clings to a lifeline.

A second spotlight thrums to life. Etoile, moving with stately, funeral grace, crosses the stage; Her face downturned, utterly desolate. For the longest time, she stands over Montaigne's fallen form...Then, at last, she kneels beside him. A faint shimmer of light issues forth from her hand, held above his chest; A light kindled within the Eye of Night, nursing the fires within. It hurts her - Her limbs trembling, her face working with affected strain...And as the lights dim one-by-one, Montaigne shudders.

He draws a deep breath, a rasping breath as he stirs.

She pulls away, as his eyes flutter - Opening, slowly, almost reluctantly. He feels the edges of the gem in his hand - the weight turning his wrist, as he looks down...Then up, at the luminous vision before him, receding into the gloom.

And then he says -

"...Etoile?"

For an instant, she hesitates. For an instant, she looks back.

"Wait-"

He's on his knees, now, clawing his way up. But his body betrays him, and he falls back, gasping - His hand gripping the dolorous wound across his chest, the source of that spreading crimson stain. (That, and dye packs.) And as Etoile vanishes into the darkness beyond the woods, Montaigne's anguished voice rings out-

"-I'll find a way! Somehow, someday...I'll save you-! Even if takes a million years...Even 'til the end of time!"

"For Auguste...For my first and greatest friend...And for the man he should have been!"

The curtains fall one final time, and the applause - which comes from everywhere and nowhere at once - echoes from the rafters, the cheers making the air ring with their sheer intensity. It's a wall of white noise, muffled not at all by the thick curtains; Even as you finally manage to clamber to your feet, the lights returning to their normal hue at last.

>>37041223You could also say it's about selling Hotwheels toys, but it'll probably get twisted into some bizarre metaphor. Anyway, the first episode was just retarded enough that I liked it. Will be watching more.

> "And thus concludes the fifth performance. Please remain in your seats: The cast members will take their bows, and the next one will begin after a fifteen-minute intermission."

Kazuya sits up, levering himself to his feet. There's an odd expression on his face; "-It's over," he says, as if he can't quite believe it - "...I can't believe we did it - Right, Mio?"

Silence.

"Mio?"

Mio's standing very still, her gaze upturned - Her hands clasped together, as if in prayer. Then, softly:

"...They're - cheering for us," she murmurs, almost to herself. "All of them...I've never had-" Her hand goes to her face, and you can tell - From the catch to her voice - that she's fighting back tears...

Her hand settles in yours, as she makes a low sound of affirmation...Her fingers clasping yours, for a moment, a blush to her cheeks.

> "Do I not count? I knew you could do it."

"-Thank you," Mio says, softly - Her smile tremulous, her eyes glistening with unshed tears...But there's joy, too, a simple, unalloyed joy brought forth from the very core of her being as she squeezes your hand. "Thank you, for...For everything. And - for always *believing* in me..."

You're about to answer, but the feel of Kazuya's hand on your shoulder cuts you off. He grins, his shoulders lifting in a shrug:

"Come on, man," he says. "This is our moment, yeah? Relish it."

What follows is a blur - When the curtains part, when the cast stands with hands held to bow as one, you can barely see the audience...The light almost blinding, resolving at last into shapes, familiar faces. You find yourself between Kazuya and Mio, as the electronic beeping of the voting count mounts; It's so total, so all-consuming, that you can only make out impressions - Yui's low sigh of satisfaction, Natsumi's game smile, putting a brave face on things despite her red eyes...Kazuya trying to hide the spreading splotch across his coat, from a dye packet misfire...

Mio frees her hand from Natsumi's, waving to the crowd. The cheers grow louder still; "Thank you - Thank you, everyone-!" It's hard not to feel the sheer exuberance radiating from her in this perfect, luminous moment...As she turns to you - Her eyes shining, her gaze holding yours, her expression heartfelt despite the hundreds looking on; Drawing a deep breath, as she says-

Natsumi's gasp is strangled, startled - Even Yui stiffens, her eyes going wide with absolute shock; Her lips shaping an 'O' of surprise, as momentary incomprehension - shading to slow-dawning recognition - ripples through the crowd, all the way to the serried ranks of the Seisin High girls in the upper rows, whispers break out...Building to a murmur, to a roar-

And then the outburst makes the rafters shake, as flowers and pamphlets rain onto the stage from all sides...

(Gentlemen: My sincerest apologies, but it's extremely late on my end - And this looks like a natural place to break. Due to work commitments, I must turn in promptly - But we've managed to cover a significant amount of ground.

Good night, and God bless - As always, you've been a wonderful audience, and I hope to see you all again soon.)

>>37041530>>37041558I went looking for a reaction image to properly communicate my hilarity. Couldn't find one, laughing too hard. This is going to cause some amusement for when we get back.

Thanks for running, see you next week. Or sooner, if we're lucky.

>>37041568She's made herself the most popular girl at Seisin at the cost of risking suspension and outright expulsion. There's a reason she wanted to have a secret date. Private schools with reputations to uphold get militant in doing so.

I can't tell whether I'm more proud or exasperated. She's made things very hard for herself, but I doubt she cares. Girls be brave, to twist a line.

>>37042099They wouldn't be wrong, precisely. The ones who knew more about Hyades physiology (is that even a thing) would get very nervous if they thought she was a normal Hyades, given what we know about the cost of projecting a Hyades into reality.

>>37042248There are ways around lack of body. The fact that they knew Mio and not Joker doesn't preclude Mio knowing Joker. If they were worried about Mio being a super Hyade they'd be more curious as to why Mio dodn't lash back at their bullying more often. The Hyades have more thorns than Mio does.

>>37045153This is prettu much a shout out to the play episode in Star Driver, where the play was a direct allegory to the plot. Hell, even the message was similar, with the hero sacrificing his waifu so he could get a pimpin' spaceship.

>>37045905Considering both Kazuya and Akira are pretty damn handsome, I can see it. Anon's popularity, however, is probably less a case of him being a handsome stud more Top-Tier Essence charm.I am disappointed that we never got a chance to have Anon cross-dress. Am morbidly curious about how the charm would work on guys and how long it would take for Kazuya to die from laughter.

>>37046128One leads to the other. Argent becomes a better businessman, the Cardinal founds a religion that sweeps the city and outlives him, Kouichi becomes sword, and Akira can't be found until he wants to be. The essence only increases what's already there. Without it, he's just a babe magnet rather than a black hole of female sexual attraction.